We stayed at Lake Hope State Park for our second voyage out in our new camper, and the first time with less than full hookups.
The campground is not "modern" but... If you want a more out of the way place, are ok with less than full hookups, and actually being in the country, then Lake Hope will not disappoint. Besides all the park has to offer the location serves as a good home base for activities in nearby Athens, Nelsonville, and McArthur, Ohio. We used it as a home base for visiting the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway.
I posted a more complete write up on our blog if you are interested in my amateur rantings - LOL. The short story is - we liked it (warts and all) and we'll be going back in the future. Here's a few pics:
Our Site (154). The sites here can be pretty close together and a tight fit for longer rigs...
The (newer) playground - was very close to our site, not crowded, and the kids LOVED it!
You are in some pretty good wilderness (by Ohio standards). Even cell service is spotty at best. It's quiet and lovely here especially late at night and early in the morning. I wish I had a camera that could capture the brilliance of the stars on a clear night without the light pollution you have in many areas of the state.
The new dining lodge is not to be missed - even if you cook at your site. It worth a visit just for the view of the lake and dam area below:
Here's the old Hope Iron Furnace (well - in the background) from which the park takes it's name:
We enjoyed our stay and we'll be back to take advantage of more of the park offerings. It is more remote and (when we were there) less busy than some of the more well known State Parks in the vicinity such as Old Man's cave... Just be selective if you have a bigger rig and pay attention to the signs warning of very tight turnarounds in certain areas. Maneuvering was not an issue for us. But somehow we still managed to loose a marker light off of the camper. I don't think I actually hit or snagged anything - so maybe it just fell off... Oh well. Hope you enjoy the Pics.
The campground is not "modern" but... If you want a more out of the way place, are ok with less than full hookups, and actually being in the country, then Lake Hope will not disappoint. Besides all the park has to offer the location serves as a good home base for activities in nearby Athens, Nelsonville, and McArthur, Ohio. We used it as a home base for visiting the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway.
I posted a more complete write up on our blog if you are interested in my amateur rantings - LOL. The short story is - we liked it (warts and all) and we'll be going back in the future. Here's a few pics:
Our Site (154). The sites here can be pretty close together and a tight fit for longer rigs...
The (newer) playground - was very close to our site, not crowded, and the kids LOVED it!
You are in some pretty good wilderness (by Ohio standards). Even cell service is spotty at best. It's quiet and lovely here especially late at night and early in the morning. I wish I had a camera that could capture the brilliance of the stars on a clear night without the light pollution you have in many areas of the state.
The new dining lodge is not to be missed - even if you cook at your site. It worth a visit just for the view of the lake and dam area below:
Here's the old Hope Iron Furnace (well - in the background) from which the park takes it's name:
We enjoyed our stay and we'll be back to take advantage of more of the park offerings. It is more remote and (when we were there) less busy than some of the more well known State Parks in the vicinity such as Old Man's cave... Just be selective if you have a bigger rig and pay attention to the signs warning of very tight turnarounds in certain areas. Maneuvering was not an issue for us. But somehow we still managed to loose a marker light off of the camper. I don't think I actually hit or snagged anything - so maybe it just fell off... Oh well. Hope you enjoy the Pics.
